Background Checks
Among the many points that form the FCSA Code of Compliance, the need to verify an employee’s legitimacy is one of the most relevant issues when trying to ensure an umbrella firm is reputable; this is why background checks are vital for the industry. Legally, every contractor or freelancer who signs up with an umbrella company…
Do you really know your workforce
This blog post was originally published in HR News. Julia Kermode, CEO of FCSA, discusses the role of flexible workers and the contribution they make to the UK workforce: “Most politicians wax lyrical about the value of the flexible workforce. The Labour Party have recently been speaking out in support of the self-employed. Business Secretary Sajid…
When hiring freelancers can work for your business
Let’s go back twenty years to the ‘90s when the air was thick with rumours that the traditional workplace was soon to be a thing of the past. Hot desking was about to replace offices and workers would reject jobs for life in favour of portfolio careers armed with a phone and a laptop. In…
Flying the Flag for Freelancers
Interestingly, the Labour party has started saying it must reach out to self-employed, with their “Red Shift” group believing the party is doomed to failure unless it adapts to the new world of working people. They have acknowledged that the world of work has dramatically altered with increasing number of people choosing to work flexibly,…
FCSA’s contingent labour workforce insights for June
In line with the Labour Market Statistics released for June, FCSA has issued analysis in its monthly Contingent Labour Workforce report for members and associates. Insights include: – 12.1% of all permanent and temporary employees (26.4% of all part time workers and 7.0% full time workers) aged 25 and over currently earn under the new…
FCSA ambitiously pursuing amendment to legislation to protect contractors’ income
FCSA is urging MPs to show their support for contractors by using the Summer Budget as an opportunity to redress errors made in the March Finance Act. In a late change to draft wording earlier this year, the legislation was amended, without consultation, to specifically encompass contractors working through an umbrella firm. As a…
FCSA reflects on Osborne’s Summer Budget
FCSA has called today’s Budget a mixed bag for members and the freelance community it supports. Commenting on some of the detail that affects members, freelancers and contractors, Julia Kermode, CEO of FCSA said: “The Chancellor claimed to be delivering a budget for hardworking people but to some extent is penalising some of those workers…
FCSA influencing Government at top level
FCSA chair Graham Fisher has been invited to attend the Chancellor’s post-Budget briefing on 9th July. The invitation can be seen as a clear acknowledgement by the Government that it recognises the contribution made by the flexible workforce to the growth of the UK economy. Commenting on the invitation Graham Fisher said: “As the leading…
Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance partners with FCSA to offer tailored solutions to members and freelance community
Kingsbridge Contractor Insurance has become the latest business partner of the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA). Kingsbridge is dedicated to providing insurance solutions specifically designed for the freelancer and contractor community, working to protect them from any risks that potentially come from working as a limited company. The Kingsbridge package includes professional indemnity,…
FCSA’s Associate programme well received by industry players
Just one month following the launch of FCSA’s trade association for contractor management service providers, over 25 professional services companies have signed up to FCSA’s Charter and become FCSA Associates. Launching the programme at the end of May, Julia Kermode, chief executive of the FCSA acknowledged that it was time to unite a fragmented industry…